The bicycle man said with a light tone, "You're alive, Kuzi… how? Where have you been..?"
His voice stuttered as he spoke. His hands were shaking violently. His eyes got watery.
Kuzi didn't feel a single spark seeing him again.
He just said, "Yo."
The bicycle man started crying. Everyone around made it look like a dramatic incident, as if one of them was proposing.
The bicycle man said with an almost swallowed voice, "I– I was nothing… I didn't defend you, I was just… I'm nothing more than a fake crybaby to you. Why would you even be excited to see me…
But despite all that, I'm truly happy that I saw you. When you left the academy, I thought you committed suicide. Look at you, so strong and muscular. I bet you have tons of girls lined up for you now…
I'm not jealous—sure, I might be a little jealous—but can we forget what happened in the past and look into the future? You're the one I called brother from the bottom of my heart…"
Desperately wiping his tears off his face, he walked toward Kuzi.
Just when he tapped Kuzi's shoulder and Kuzi turned around, the bicycle man got completely heartbroken.
Kuzi said, "Excuse me, did you just say something?"
Kuzi picked up his earpads, checking if they were fine, not to mention he was listening to different beats.
The bicycle man said, "Fine, asshole. I didn't say anything. How have you been?"
Kuzi said, "Good."
The bicycle man took out his phone and said, "Give me your phone, man. We all thought you died, motherfucker."
Kuzi said, "Sure."
The bicycle man looked at him with a wondering face, lost in thought.
"What happened to you? Why are you completely unrecognizable?
Why did you disappear? Hey, man! Tell me, what are you doing now?"
Kuzi wore his jacket over his smashed T-shirt, the jacket hanging like a hoodie, and said, "Listen, we may have been friends. But let me remind you—it's have been. So learn your place. And thank you. I know you care, and that's why you got my phone number."
The bicycle man felt his soul leaving his body and was left wondering, Did he actually come back from training in hell? Is this a grand comeback?
Kuzi left, walking home. He saw what looked like a black cat. The cat had one green eye and the other red.
Its teeth were like a vampire's. Kuzi stared deeply at the cat. Random colorful lines started to appear; the more he stared, the more he saw those lines all over the place.
He snapped out of the contact and went to check the cat. The cat was normal—actually, it was even cute. Kids from across the street saw the cat and came to give her food.
He thought to himself, Was I just seeing things…? Is this actually normal…? Is it because my head slammed into the pole? No, this is nothing. I've seen worse things happen to me. I can't start hallucinating out of nowhere for such a minor injury.
He got to his house—a small rented apartment with only two rooms. He went straight to bed.
"Well, gotta sleep… tomorrow is another boring repetition. But today I met my classmate. Not bad, actually.
Wait, I didn't eat, and I almost went to bed without brushing my teeth. Better do it now."
He stood up and started cooking. He prepared his meal, put it on the table, and sat down to watch TV.
As soon as he turned it on, a news report appeared.
"Tatsuki Yamamoto has been awarded the
Best Light Novel Award of the Year.
It has been confirmed that his novel even won the WSA competition as well."
The webtoon made by Hina Yamamoto has been promoted as the best webtoon, generating massive income and recently trending on social media.
He opened his phone and went to YouTube to see the video. As he watched, he felt wronged again.
He looked at the screen, and the journalist said:
"Yeah, you loser. You fucker. You're nothing.
You're so pathetic. Your worth is only for others, not yourself. You can't be useful for yourself. You are annoying…"
The journalist's face stretched on the screen, licking the TV as he spoke. His neck flew like a snake.
Kuzi didn't feel a thing—yet he sounded a little scared. He closed the TV, then opened it again immediately. Nothing. Suddenly, the journalist returned. Everything was fine.
Kuzi checked his phone. Nothing unusual happened. He sighed and went to his room.
Yet, he knew something was wrong.
He didn't want to stress himself. He went to bed. Slept. Yet he felt wronged. He wanted to chase the feeling. He wanted to understand it. He wanted to feel it more.
For someone who lost everything and had nothing to call his except himself—yet at some point lost even that—all he wanted was to chase the feelings he remembered.
Not bad for a human who wants his humanity back.
For someone who wants to be valued.
For someone who wants to live a life of happiness.
It's been years. Way too many years since he felt like that.
As he slept, on the other side of the city, the bicycle man—Satori—was blabbering about Kuzi to the rest of his friends. Among them was one person who didn't know about Kuzi, someone who came after Kuzi left the school.
The newcomer asked, "Who's Kuzi though, guys? Fill me in."
Between them were two people who had heavily wronged him: Hina Yamamoto and her twin big brother, Tatsuki Yamamoto.
Both of them looked down, ashamed.
Tatsuki said, "I know him more than anyone here. I'll tell you everything about him—but please, promise me, Satori, that you'll help us get his forgiveness."
Satori said, "I can do that much. It's okay. Just tell us. I swear I'll make it happen… maybe tomorrow, if that's fine."
Hina kept her head down and started sobbing.
Tatsuki continued, "He only remembers his grandmother. She raised him. For some unknown reason, his grandmother died. She was a sweet lady—he once said that to me.
He was forced into an orphanage. It wasn't comfortable. He was hated and discriminated against because he was different.
They did him dirty. When they noticed electronics were going to be given to the children, they took them for themselves and blamed him.
'He was raised in his own house. He has a different attitude. He doesn't obey and always questions.'
That's what they said.
Then they left him alone in his grandmother's tiny apartment at age fifteen, with whatever money was left in her bank account.
They did it perfectly so the higher-ups wouldn't know. He said it was full of misfortune.
He was wise—mature beyond his age—so he started working at a nearby garage, earning money and saving for tomorrow.
He didn't have fun. Didn't get into romance. But there was one person he loved deeply.
It was my sister, Hina."
Hina stared down, ashamed. She didn't move at all—putting on a fake act. Everyone else was stunned, especially considering who it was.
Tatsuki continued, "I'm not saying this for pity. Just keep it low. Eventually, in high school, he and I ended up in the same class."
The newcomer interrupted, "Sorry, but… how did he even study at our academy? I mean, no offense—he's poor, right?"
Tatsuki answered, "He was smart. Smart as hell. That's why he had a scholarship."
The newcomer was stunned.
Before Tatsuki could continue, the doorbell rang.
Hina said, "It's okay, I'll answer it."
She felt uncomfortable—too uncomfortable.
She wanted to bail, and this was her excuse.
Slowly walking down the stairs, fidgeting with her hands, rethinking her words, she didn't even ask who it was.
She abruptly opened the door with a smile. Her smile melted away.
The moment she saw Kuzi standing there, with sleepy, cold, dead eyes, she screamed:
"Get away from me! I didn't do anything!"